Windmill-regulator



(No Model.)

" W. L. MATTHEWS. WINDMILL REGULATOR.

No. 448,531. Patented Mar. 1'7, 1891.,

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UNITED STATES PATENT union.

W'ILFORD L. MATTHEWS, OF HORTON, MICHIGAN.

WlNDMlLL-REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,531, dated March 17, 1891.

Application filed August 13, 1890. Serial No. 361,932. (No model.)

To all/whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VILFORD L. MATTHEWS, of lrIorton,in the county of J ackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVindmill-Regulators; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in windmill-regulators; and it consists in the combination of a pump-rod, a pivoted lever which is connected to the pump-rod by means of an intermediate connecting-rod, a pawl connected to the lever, a ratchet-wheel carrying a lever for throwing the wheel out of the wind, a dog for preventing the ratchet-wheel from moving backward, a pivoted weighted lever for throwing the pawl out of gear with the ratchet-wheel, and the cords or wires, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The object of my invention is to attach directly to a pump-rod a mechanism by means of which the windmill can be thrown out of operation whenever the tank becomes filled.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mechanism which embodies my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

A represents the tower of a windmill; B, the pump-rod, and G the cross-beam, which is placed in the tower. Secured upon the top of this cross-beam C is a block or piece of timber D of any suitable construction, and through which the bolt E is passed, the bolt being provided with a clamping-nut at each end and a nut or angular piece F at its center. Upon this bolt E, at any suitable distance from the side of the block 0, is placed the ratchet-wheel G, which has a recess in its side to receive the nut or angular portion F, and thus cause the bolt to turn with the ratchet-wheel. Projecting from the side of this ratchet-wheel is a suitable hub H, which has its outer ends serrated, and clamped against the end of this hub by means of the clamping-bolt E is the metallic lever I, to which the wooden lever J is rigidly secured. To the outer free end of this lever J is fastened a'cord, wire, or chain K, which extends up to the wheel and throws the wheel out of the wind, when the lever J is caused to revolve partially around by the ratchet-Wheel G. The ratchet-wheel G is intended to turn through only a portion of a circle, and extending horizontally from its inner side is a short stud or projection L, which, when the wheel has revolved partially around, strikes upon the top of the weighted and pivoted lever M for the purpose of causing it to partially turn upon its pivot and cause the projection N at its shorter end to catch under the pawl O and raise it out of cont-act with the ratchet-wheel G. Pivoted upon the side of the block D is a bent dog or lever P, which engages with the ratchet-wheel G at its upper end for the purpose of preventing the ratchetwheel G from turning backward until the wind-wheel is about to swing back into the wind again. The lowerend of this dog or lever P is turned horizontally forward and has an opening through it for the passage of the weighted wire or cord Q, which is provided with the stops B, one being for the purpose of catching under the dog or lever P and throwing it out of contact with the ratchet-wheel G, and the other two for throwing the pawl O in and out of gear with the ratchet-wheel. The wire Q, provided with the weight S at one end, passes up over the guide T, placed one in the tower and the other or others upon suitable poles or supports U provided therefor, and has the float V secured to its other end.

Pivoted upon the bolt E is the lever TV, which is connected to the pump-rod B by the connecting-rod X. By changing the point at which the lower end of the rod X is connected to the lever W the lever is given a longer or shorter stroke, as may be desired. The pawl O, by which the ratchet-wheel G is operated, is secured at its outer end to the lever \V, as shown, and this pawl 0, being made of steel, is always in contact with the ratchet G when it is left free to move. The lever M is pivoted upon the upper end of a support Y, which is secured to and rises above the top of the lever WV any suitable distance, and secured to the under side of the lever M is a weight Z, which serves to throw up the shorter end of the lever M, and thus cause the projection N thereon to raise the pawl 0 out of contact with the ratchet-wheel G.

\Vhen the pump-rod B is moved vertically by the wind-wheel, this vertical movement is imparted to the lever V by the connectingrod X. As the outer end of the lever W rises and falls, the pawl O engages with the ratchetwheel G and draws the wheel around at the same time that the dog or lever P prevents the ratchetwheel from having any backward movement while the dog is moved forward to take a new hold. As the wheel G is turned, the lever J, secured thereto through the wire K, draws the wind-wheel around out of the wind. After the wheel G has been turned a certain distance, the projection L upon its side strikes against the top of the lever M, and by depressing its longer end and throwing up its shorter one the pawl 0 is raised out of contact with the ratchet-wheel G.

The chain or wire Q, which passes through a slot in the pawl O and through the end of the lever I when the tank A is filled, becomes slackened by the rising of the float, and then the weight 6 draws the wire endwise, so as to cause the upper stop R to bear down upon the top of the pawl 0, and thus force it into contact with the ratchet-wheel G. \Vhen the water in the tank A has fallen below a certain point, the weight of the float counteracts the weight b and the wire Q is drawn endwise, so that all of the stops R are raised, and then the two lower stops strike against the under side of the lever l and the pawl 0, so as to throw them both out of contact with the ratchet-wheel G. The wheel Gbeing left free to turn, the weight of the wheel in swinging back into the wind turns the ratchet-wheel G backward, so as to raise the projection L from the top of thelever M, and thusleave the pawl 0 free to be moved into contact with the ratchet-wheel G by the weight S on the lower end of the wire Q.

To enable the wire Q to run freely overthe guides T, the pieces of chain B are used, and these chains are wrapped one or more times around the guides T, so that they will not slip. To one of the chains 13 is attached a second chain 0 and a wire D, by means of which the wheel can be thrown out of gear from the ground. There may be any desired number of these guides T, according to the distance that the water-tank A is placed from the windmill.

By means of the construction here shown and described the wind-wheel is stopped as soon as the tank A becomes filled with water, and as soon as the waterfalls below a certain point the endwise movement of the wire Q throws the wheel into operation again, and the water is again pumped into the tank.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In awindmill-regulator, the combination of the vertically-moving pump-rod, a ratchetwheel, a lever pivoted at one end upon or adjacent to the journal of the said wheel, a dog pivoted to the free end of the lever and extending over and engaging the said ratchetwheel, a rod connectii'ig the pump-rod and the free end of the said lever, a second pawl, which has one end engage the ratchet-wheel and its opposite end extend outward under the free end of the pivoted lever, a lever secured to and revolved by the ratchet-wheel, a cord connected to the lever for throwing the windwheel out of the wind, and a cord or wire having a weight at one end,a float at its opposite end, and stops which engage the said dogs for disengaging them from the ratchet-wheel, combined to operate in the manner shown and described.

2. The combination of the vertically-moving p ump-rod, the col'inecting-rod, the pivoted lever operated by the connecting-rod, the pawl connected to the lever, the ratchet-wheel, a dog for preventing the ratchet from moving backward, the projection secured to the inner side of the ratchet-wheel, the lever M, provided with a projection N for catching under the pawl O, and the endwisennoving wire Q, provided with stops Rand havinga weight secured to one end and a float to the other, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILFORD L. MATTHEWS.

\Vitnesses:

ALBERT I. AYREs, RANsoM E. HUNT. 

